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Do You Practise Healthy Sitting?

We all know we sit too much. Modern living involves sitting whether at your work desk, in the car, or watching TV at home. Sitting has been described as the “new smoking”. But with healthy sitting in the right way, with the right chair, you can improve your chances.

Do these pictures look familiar?

Often we end up slouching as we slide down the seat of the chair. Even if we sit correctly in the chair, then we have a tendency to slump particularly if working on a laptop. Even sophisticated, supposedly ergonomic office chairs create this effect despite many knobs, levers and other adjustment mechanisms.

Having had 2 back operations myself – largely through an unhealthy corporate lifestyle with too many hours sitting – I’m acutely aware of the benefits of healthy sitting. I now sell a chair online – the RockBack chair – which helps you look after your back.

Do you know there are 3 different ways to sit correctly?

Being aware of this should help you sit more comfortably and be less detrimental to your health. These three ways are: active sitting, passive sitting, and dynamic sitting

Healthy sitting – Active sitting

When we sit actively, we are using our core muscles to hold a good upright sitting position. Ideally, our knees should be below our hips so that the natural curve in our back is maintained. Many people instinctively sit on the front of their chairs in an attempt to create this healthy sitting position.

Penny is sitting actively on a RockBack chair. Notice her feet are tucked underneath the chair which helps her back retain its natural curvature. RockBack has a curved seat which enable the knees to be positioned lower. In the active sitting position, the back support is hardly used.

Healthy sitting – Passive sitting

When we sit passively, we are using the chair to support a good sitting position. Our muscles are relaxed. We should be sitting with good posture and support for our back in the right place.

Penny is sitting passively in this photo. In this position, the curved RockBack seat helps position the body correctly in the chair and makes slumping less likely. The back provides support in the correct part of the back.

Healthy sitting – Dynamic sitting

Dynamic sitting involves movement. Even a small amount of movement is beneficial. It stimulates different muscles and aids blood circulation.

RockBack enables dynamic sitting. The ability to move between the active and passive positions enables you to take a rest from the active sitting position. The rocking motion also allows you to flex your back muscles. The movement is quite addictive and has been described as “relaxing” or “hypnotic”. Do you remember wanting to tilt back on your chair at school? RockBack enables this without being told off.

Healthy sitting- RockBack sitting

We have found the best way to use RockBack is to use the active sitting position for intensive work (such as writing emails) interspersed with periods of passive sitting and dynamic sitting. Frequent short breaks to stretch and walk are still beneficial.

The curved RockBack seat makes it hard to slouch and enables the knees to rest below the hips in the active sitting position. The memory foam and well positioned back support add to the comfort.

Made in the UK

RockBack has been designed, manufactured and assembled in the UK. The original chair was designed 25 years ago by a back specialist. We have updated the design with modern materials and are selling the chair directly to consumers via the internet. Standard chairs can be tried at home for 30 days and returned for free if you are not entirely happy with the chair.

You can customise your chair by choosing different frame finishes and fabrics. It is primarily designed as a home office chair but can equally be used as a chair around the kitchen or dining room table or even in a meeting room.

There have been lots of lovely reviews from our customers. Please check them out on the website or on TrustPilot.

“A really lovely chair, beautifully designed – a classic. It fits into any home large or small but the difference when using it as a work chair is amazing. Seems almost magical for its simplicity, rock back for comfort, tilt forward for a healthy ‘back loving’ work posture. It works!”

“I am a lifelong buyer and tryer of chairs that make desk work more comfortable for your back and posture. This is the best yet. Is it the end of my search? Yes.”